Board of Representatives for Arla Foods,
the global dairy cooperative, said that
stability in Britain, in political, physical
and climate terms, put British farmers
in a unique and blessed position when
it came to leading the world in farming.
Describing British farmers as “resilient
and adaptable”, he pointed out that
we had Europe on our doorstep and a
relatively stable market that offered the
reassurance of a continuing demand for
our product.
Efficiency was the bottom line, he
added, and in future there would be
fewer people farming but in a more
efficient way. He also encouraged
collaboration, in terms of sharing ideas
and experience through groups of
80
farmers in the same areas or sectors,
as well as joining forces to gain more
leverage, something the merger of Milk
Link and Arla achieved.
“Yes we are in the game,” he concluded,
“but most important for farmers today is an
open mind and a willingness to change.”
Duncan Rawson, a Nuffield Scholar
sponsored by the South of England
Agricultural Society, who organised this
year’s conference, said: “This year’s
conference addressed a hugely topical
debate with a very positive outcome.
For agriculture, whilst the challenges
facing us are immense, we sit on the
precipice of a new era; an era when
the farmer who is prepared to embrace
change and do things differently can
look forward to a bright future.”
Charlotte Smith added: “The debate and
contributions from the audience made it
clear that farmers are thinking about how
they can get their farms and businesses
in the best shape to take advantage of
growing demands on them.”
Sitting in the middle of 150 acres, the
South of England Showground is the ideal
venue to host the Farming Conference,
sponsored by South East Farmer,
Mayo Wynne Baxter, Complete Land
Management (CLM) and Chavereys.
By Paula Seager